Free workshop on growing fruit trees

Now is the best time to plant fruit trees.  But before you get your spade out, come along to a free workshop at Dalton’s school of gardening in Mount Wellington and get the facts from experts in the field to ensure your tree planting is a success.

The workshop is hosted by Xanthe White, recent Gold award winner at Ellerslie International flower show and Heather MacDonald of incredible edible®, who specialize in fruit trees.  In this practical workshop you will learn, which are the best varieties for your soil and location, step by step how to plant a tree, care and maintenance, tips for longevity and plentiful fruit, when and how to fertilize and fruiting times. Growing fruit trees can be very rewarding but it is so important to have some knowledge up front.

Some tree varieties will need a second tree planted in close vicinity to enable them to bear fruit (pollinate). Others are self- fertile and will fruit without a partner.  Most varieties of fruit can be picked off the tree and eaten but don’t try that with olives, their bitterness makes them unpalatable. Olives need to go through a special soaking process to draw the bitterness out before you can eat them.  Do you still want to grow them? Perhaps an avocado tree would be more suitable.  Have you ever heard that if you beat an avocado tree with a stick it encourages fruit growth?  Come along and find out if this is true or just a gardening myth.  Knowing these tips along with many others will ensure you get the basics right so you will be reaping the harvest for decades to come.   

The workshops are open to everyone and suitable for beginners as well as experienced gardeners.  They are a wonderful place for people to meet and share their enthusiasm.  Daltons School of gardening is being held on Saturday 28th April 2012 from 2-4pm at Daltons Landscape supplies, 1 Morrin Road, Mount Wellington. For more information go to www.daltons.co.nz and register on the website.